The Great Illusion

I stumbled upon this linked website called www.thegreatillusion.com while I was browsing the latest news on David Icke’s website www.davidicke.com

For those who are not yet aware of David Icke, well he is a world famous (or infamous to most!) conspiracy theorist, but he is also a new age philosopher of sorts, and brings to light some profound and inspiring ways to liberate our own spirits and energies for a greater good. The media portray him mostly as a lot of a nutcase, but the fundamental vision that he has is so honest, he is just a truth seeker. And as Albert Einstein once said “Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.”

"Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut, that held its ground." – David Icke

"A gift of truth is the gift of love" – David Icke

"Don't let them tell you what to think, no matter how "different" your own views may be in relation to the official line. If you are not different in this world of stunning uniformity what on earth are you doing? Baaaaaaa." – David Icke

"Today, the stranglehold of the controlling negative forces upon Earth is extremely advanced and is choking the very life from our planet. The effects of this are evident everywhere in the form of fear, separation, war, disease and multifarious kinds of disharmony on all levels." – David Icke

"Infinite love is the only truth. Everything else is illusion." – David Icke

"You cannot fight for peace. We need to peace for peace." - David Icke

Anyway, The Great Illusion is an interactive journey, written by Victor Khan with illustrations by Jim Warren www.jimwarren.com Each passage is written with such insight and each image is so beautifully related.

I have collated a few of Jim Warren’s stunning artwork above. I have also extracted a few passages from The Great Illusion journey.

The Great Illusion
Close your eyes and go inside, breathe the air and clear your mind. Changing colors lead the way, not a thought to slip away. Search the darkness for a light, see the sunshine in the night. Inside-out is on display, a paradox that hides the way. A twist-of-fate is there to find ~ create the peace found all inside.Get beyond your point-of-view, those limitations hinder you. Anything can be achieved, the mystery behind the scenes. Déjà vu of long gone times, past ignorance that closed the mind. The secret path is locked within, it's opposite to where you've been. Contemplate what life can be, the rhetorical question of reality. Dreams appear that do come true, your love will bring them all to you. Manifest and do pursue, it attracts the higher side of you. Karma that is never known, the oxymoron twilight zone. A parallel of life in rhyme, the great illusion of all time. Behold the threefold flower ~ the eye, the heart, the hand...revealed is all the wisdom that the mind can understand. BELIEVE, ACHIEVE and RECEIVE!

Starting Points
The world as we view it, is much like a dance, you can take what is coming and live it by chance...Or seek answers to questions and live it by choice, just follow your heart and answer its voice. Chance brings that karmic phenomenon,manifested reactions from what you have done.Look for a place that’s hidden within, search for the message, that’s where to begin. Talk to yourself, have conversation inside,it’s a matter of choice, create from the mind. Picture yourself in a world all your own,then bring it to life from the seed to the sown. Search & discover the source of white light,don’t settle for anything, reach for the heights. Your goals are the answer to what you achieve, and it’s almost like magic when you start to believe. Truth & intuition ...bring gifts to rejoice, go it by chance or live it by choice!

The Art of Looking
Look clearly at life and not just your own, how much is reality, and how much is unknown. It's not measured in beauty, possessions or wealth,but measured in consciousness and judged by yourself. Do you wonder if this is your chance,to examine the future and all that might last?Material things just gather the dust,whereas thought becomes life force and this is the thrust. A look in the mirror at the start of each day, a vision of emptiness ...but a nice résumé. It's all in the cards ~ but its not yet a deck.sit back and slow down, take the time to reflect. Look clearly at life and into your own, understanding the choices that cannot be postponed.

Choices
When you think of your past and remember that day, just think of the choices that sent you this way. Try to comprehend how the pieces fit in, realizing the enigma as the shadows wear thin. Timing is everything to see the next step, a wrong choice or decision is a long non-stop trip. If we could see answers to all life's little ways, it wouldn't be so hard to see through the haze. Seeing is learning and that is the test, if you made the right choices at the start of this quest.Live in the real world, a life and a goal, good friends and true meaning ~ let love feed your soul. So be careful of false signs, of tricks and of strife, you'll remember those choices when you look back at your life. The right things in life are here by your choice, you made this yourself, now sit back and rejoice.

The Tiger Within
Have you begun to question the rules of this game, reflect on your actions and take some of the blame. For all that just happens there must be a cause, to find it ...the answer, sit back and just pause. Feel what you’re thinking ~ investigate all. Think what you’re feeling ~ grow to stand tall. Look at yourself then ponder the facts, it’s a positive attitude that makes you attract. All is in harmony ...it’s a quieting sound, the secret of life is very profound. The reason is curious, as above so below,and knowledge is hidden at the end of rainbows. Calming your mind and the tiger within, all is not viewed by the color of skin. Outward appearance is not genuine, it's not what you look like ~ but from where it begins. Thoughts are like mirrors ~ just slightly bizarre, and it all comes from wishing each night on a star.

I seriously recommend that you go on this journey, the graphics and messages are both breathtaking and freeing.

Peace, Love and Believing
Orangeblossom xxx

Hubble Bubble, Space Toil and Galactic Trouble

I thought I would continue posting some more awesomely jaw dropping pictures of our outer space. These are famous images taken by the Nasa space telescope, Hubble. For more astronomical pics and info, go to http://www.nasa.gov/home/

Where Eagles Fly

Perhaps one of the most famous and easily recognized space objects, the Eagle Nebula (also known as Messier Object 16, M16) is a young open cluster of stars in the constellation Serpens. This region of current star formation is about 7,000 light years distant. The Hubble image is one of the most popular poster images of outer space, and often appears in science-fiction movies. I put together a collage of some of the most spectacular images of Eagle Nebula.

Like Sands through the Hourglass

The Hourglass Nebula (also known as MyCn18) is a young planetary nebula situated in the southern constellation Musca about 8,000 light-years away from Earth. It is conjectured that MyCn18's hourglass shape is produced by the expansion of a fast stellar wind within a slowly expanding cloud which is denser near its equator than its poles.

The Eye in the Sky

Often called “The Eye of God”, The Helix Nebula (also known as NGC 7293) is a planetary nebula about 650 light-years away in the constellation Aquarius. It is one of the closest planetary nebulae to Earth.

Are there words to capture one’s sheer awe at what exists beyond the twinkling stars that we see in our night skies?!

As Buzz Lightyear would say…“To Infinity, and Beyond!”

Wanabee Space Cadet OB xxx

* * * Twinkle Twinkle * * *

These pictures (thanks Ty!) illustrate perfectly just how small Earth is within our galaxy. Never mind what lies beyond our own galaxy, into our universe.

To quote Thomas Henry Huxley; “The chess-board is the world, the pieces are the phenomena of the universe, the rules of the game are what we call the laws of Nature. The player on the other side is hidden from us."

Or to break it down in pictures…

Big Blue Earth

These are the smaller planets in our solar system, where Earth is the biggie.

The Rest of the Crew

Here Earth is shown alongside the Big Boys of our Solar System.

The Sun is Shining

This shows the comparison of all the planets in our solar system with the star that is the Sun.

Starry Starry Night

Earth is invisible at this range and here resides Arcturus, the third brightest star in the night sky, after Sirius and Canopus.

The Big Daddy and the Glitterbugs

Jupiter is now invisible and the Sun is but a dot where Antares reigns supreme and is one of the brightest stars in the nighttime sky. Along with Aldebaran, Spica, and Regulus it is one of the four brightest stars near the ecliptic (The ecliptic is the apparent path of the Sun traced out along the sky in the course of the year.)

All stars except the Sun appear to the human eye as shining points in the night sky that twinkle because of the effect of the Earth's atmosphere. The Sun is also a star, but it is close enough to Earth to appear as a disk instead, and to provide daylight.

Astronomers estimate that there are at least 70 sextillion (7×1022) stars in the known universe. That is 70 000 000 000 000 000 000 000, or 230 billion x 300 billion in our own Milky Way.

Fascinating hey! Makes you want to just jump in a spacecraft and go exploring the night sky…Beam me up Scotty!!

So I will leave with the nursery rhyme by Jane Taylor…

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!

Outer Spacey, Starry, Universal and Sparkly Love

Orangeblossom xxx

Stonehenge Summer Solstice Celebrations

To celebrate the summer solstice, English Heritage allows the public access to the 5,000-year-old stone circle for the annual event.

Drum-beating and chanting turned to cheering as the sun broke through the clouds shortly after 0500am.

Although the overnight weather dampened the sky and atmosphere, I still think these pictures are especially magical in their own right.

Mystical Love and Sun Worshiping
Orangeblossom xxx

Once upon a Time in the Shire…

Once upon a time across the land of the shire country, lived three hobbits; Orangeblossom Brandybuck of Buckland, Dimple Boffin of Whitfurrows and Lobelia Grubb of Everywhere.

One day there were all sent alone onto the Great Road that led them to the New Yorkshire Forest where they spent 6 months working with other fellow hobbits. It was there where they met each other for the first time. It has been a few years since those days of shared, but the three hobbits have drifted in and out of each others merry lives, always carrying with them the fondest memories of each other.

Of late, the three hobbits have found themselves together in the Old Forest and their friendship and connection just keeps getting stronger. Over rivers, meadows, mountains and fields, they find each other and spend many lazy and exciting days together, basking in the bubble that surrounds them in their ventures. They share so much fun and laughter as they play, and also wonder together about the world to which they belong.

And now Lobelia Grubb of Everywhere is going to settle in the Cornshire with another lovely hobbit called Mungo of the Warwickshire and live happily ever after. Because Lobelia is such a beloved hobbit, some other hobbits may be reluctant to let her go, and maybe cast some shadows of doubt over her new green and happy fields.

And if these other hobbits cast gloomy clouds upon the horizon, willing the rain to pour down, her hobbit sisters will be her sunshine and keep the grumpy clouds at bay.

Her fellow hobbit princesses also want her to remember that they will be her beacons of light and pillars of strength in all times. Not just sad, but happy and merry too. They rejoice in her bliss and hold hands as they dance and jump barefoot in circles of love, friendship and soul sisterhood.

As Bramblerose Cotton of Overhill truly reflected about hobbit sisters:

“She is your witness, who sees you at your worst and best, and loves you anyway. She is your partner in crime, your midnight companion, someone who knows when you are smiling, even in the dark. She is your teacher, your defense attorney, your personal press agent, even your shrink. She is your mirror, shining back at you with a world of possibilities. She is your sister."

How blessed Orangeblossom feels to have such beautiful and inspirational soul sisters!

Love and Soul Sisterhood
Orangeblossom xxx

I am an African

I am an African
Not because I was born there
But because my heart beats with Africa’s

I am an African
Not because my skin is black
But because my mind is engaged by Africa

I am an African
Not because I live on its soil
But because my soul is at home in Africa

When Africa weeps for her children
My cheeks are stained with tears
When Africa honours her elders
My head is bowed in respect
When Africa mourns for her victims
My hands are joined in prayer
When Africa celebrates her triumphs
My feet are alive with dancing

I am an African
For her blue skies take my breath away
And my hope for the future is bright

I am an African
For her people greet me as family
And teach me the meaning of community

I am an African
For her wildness quenches my spirit
And brings me closer to the source of life

When the music of Africa beats in the wind
My blood pulses to its rhythm
And I become the essence of music
When the colours of Africa dazzle in the sun
My senses drink in its rainbow
And I become the palette of nature
When the stories of Africa echo round the fire
My feet walk in its pathways
And I become the footprints of history

I am an African
Because she is the cradle of our birth
And nurtures an ancient wisdom

I am an African
Because she lives in the world’s shadow
And bursts with a radiant luminosity

I am an African
Because she is the land of tomorrow
And I recognise her gifts as sacred

I am an African

~~ a poem by Wayne Visser


I think this poem is so stunning and inspiring about Africa. Once you have walked upon her sacred ground, breathed in her heavens, and witnessed her pure and extraordinary beauty – you are never left the same. I like to think that I take a bit of Africa’s spirit with me wherever I go, because I am also an African, and what a magnificant blessing that is.

Peace, Love and Happiness
Orangeblossom xxx

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

My many moments of small revelations, present themselves lately while I am on the bus – and yesterday morning was no exception.

I had started thinking about all the decisions I have made in my life so far and how they have influenced and affected me and my outlook on the world.

If you have ever seen the movie “The Butterfly Effect” will agree how well it presents the notion of “every action has a reaction”. Perhaps this reaction is direct or indirect. Every decision affects you or those around you or a strange or all of the above in one way or another. Sometimes for the best and sometimes not. If one really had to analysis every decision one makes, I think that would in itself drive you straight up to the gates of the loony bin.

But I guess one of lifes many lessons (I think this Life Lesson List belongs in a Mary Poppins bag because it becomes never ending!) is that instead of analysing why you made a decision, you should focus on what you learnt from that decision.

I think that through every decision we have something to learn. Learn about ourselves and/or others.

That is all well and good if you feel you have made the right decision, but a whole different ball game if you feel you made the wrong decision. Yet, in saying that, one could argue that who is to say what is “right” and “wrong”. What is sauce for the goose is not always sauce for the gander.

Many things influence the decisions we make as well, like your friends, family, circumstances, values, morals, consequences etc etc. So when faced with a difficult decision, how do you know what to weigh up against what.

Now often I have these mental debates in my head. Sometimes they are quiet and civil, other times it is like a waging war going on. When the verdict is in, I am left with two options. Either I emerge with a winning verdict or I am left feeling like a prisoner of my own convictions.

The latter is the one that we struggle to come to terms with and accept. But I reckon that even in these sad times, we can either come out reformed and safe in the knowledge that we have lived with the consequences of our own actions and have learnt the lesson entailed. Or we continue to look to the past for answers, instead of focusing on the future and to where our decisions have brought us on our life’s path.

Its hard to know where to look for answers. I feel that if you trust your own self enough, those answers will never be far away. Sometimes our lessons are not so obvious and it takes time to finally see the light, so to speak.

I like to believe that everything happens for a reason. How cliché that is, but how so very true. Change happens. And we change. Sometimes I feel I push others to hard for this acceptance of change, but I know that everyone in their own time. Change is neither good nor bad, it is just change. It is the attitude towards these changes that ultimately determines how we allow it to affect us.

So decisions and change…how they add to the trials and tribulations of our lives.

But these trials and tribulations are what makes us stronger. They are a part of life. A part of us. We cant escape them, else we would not be able to learn our lessons and move forward.

So have faith in others, but most of all have faith in yourself because every ones journey is unique and extraordinary.

I will leave you with a few quotes:

“A peacefulness follows any decision, even the wrong one.” ~Rita Mae Brown

“Life is the sum of all your choices.” ~Albert Camus

“The hardest thing to learn in life is which bridge to cross and which to burn.” ~David Russell

“It doesn't matter which side of the fence you get off on sometimes. What matters most is getting off. You cannot make progress without making decisions.” ~Jim Rohn

“By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.” ~Confucius

“We choose our joys and sorrows long before we experience them.” ~Kahlil Gibran

“Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson


Love and Happy Decision Making
Orangeblossom xxx

Summer in the City

England is no doubt a stunningly pretty country, with their green meadows and vast fields carved out by meandering river streams. But oh how this land of the shires comes to life under the beaming rays of the gloriously baking summer sun.

London, especially, is a city transformed when the sun comes out to play. The sun seems to magically inject people with a new vitality and lust for life and the outdoors.

This was the occurrence I witness upon my visit to the capital city this weekend.

I woke on Saturday morning to crystal blue skies, warm sunshine and crisp air. A good start to my journey already. So off I went on my very merry way to Jo’s place in Canada Water.

I think both of us were so eager to bask in the glorious weather, we immediately set forth to catch the bus to Greenwich Park. Greenwich Park lies smack bang on the footsteps of the Greenwich Meridian Observatory.

We found a patchy piece of grass, munched on our picnic munchies and did a bit of people watching. As you do. The sun was belting down and we retreated to some nearby shade on the other side of the park. And we just chilled, lying back and listening to the music of human commotion and activity all around us.

As the afternoon progressed, we walked to the Village. Well sort of. More like we stumbled upon a market with all these great stores. Quality European produce – especially the delicious Turkish Delight we bought.

I have never been to that part of London, but now I will definitely visit their more often. Another fascinating part of London’s multi cultural megalopolis.

So we trekked home, had a cup of tea and contemplated our next move. We were not going to stay indoors on an almost perfect evening. So out we came with the tube map, and let our fingers to the walking, where it stopped by Angel. We decided to just roam the high street and look at all the pubs, bars, cafes and restaurants before deciding on a place to settle. But we found this bustling little Turkish café and managed to secure a table on the street. The chairs were adorned in lush purple velvet and they had all these brightly coloured silk cushions (which we insisted on getting!). Anyway I think (ok I know) our waiter thought we were quite insane, but he warmed to us. As we sat to some authentic Mint Tea and Hookah, our waiter brought us shawls to wear (they had just been washed and smelled like flowers!). Talk about pampering! We felt like princesses! Anyway we tried all sorts of tea… Mint Tea, Turkish Apple Tea and then Mint Tea with orange blossom! Hey we had to try it, and I must say that if I were a flower, I would taste mighty fine indeed!

Before calling it a night, Jo made us some more tea and we went out to the bench by the water and had such a wonderfully insightful and energetic chat – at one point we realized how loud we were talking and how nuts we must of sounded, and in turn, erupted in fits of girly laughter!

Sunday arrived and the sun will still out in full force, although not as intense as Saturday which was maybe a relief as I was beginning to feel giddy with sunny happiness! Its so amazing the effect that sunshine has on you. Its such a life force.

Oh yes, so Craig kindly took us out for breakfast at a traditional English café down the road – very warm and welcoming in there. We lined our stomachs and headed to Regents Park for the Camden Green Fair and Bike Fest.

The Green Fair is to promote Environmental Day and London Sustainability Weeks. There are all sorts of campaigns and charities on show – I headed to the Climate Change and Friends of the Earth stall and chatted to some guy about my degree. But then he started rambling on about something and I couldn’t follow his train of thought, so I hopped along to the next stall. But there were also crafts and vendors offering organic and fair trade food and clothing. There was a stage where some unusual bands played thumping good tunes.

We met some of Jo’s friends throughout the day, and in doing so managed to get permanently lost and walked in circles and circles. But Jo got to have a few conversations with the resident ducks along the way, so happy days!

We finished off the day watching a bit of Street World Cup football between Columbia and Bulgaria in the one section of the park. I am not a sports fan (let alone a football fan!) but I enjoyed the vibe and energy of the game and of the fans.

After two such magnificent days, I was reluctant to leave and only arrived back home at 11:30pm last night.

But it was all worth it – bring on the English summer!!

Love, Happiness and Sunshine
Orangeblossom xxx

Dawn in Darfur

Thanks to Werner for his daily updates, pictures and insight in Darfur. Its so amazing to read what is really going on in places that we see so frequently on tv, but cannot really relate to.

So I read this poem on one of his postings last month and it was so touching. I will keep the authors name Anonymous, to respect his identity. But his poem carries the echoes of his soul, and those of millions of other Sudanese refugees, trying to make sense of the turmoil and devastation left around them.

Darfur is a Casualty

Worry nights about poor babies

whose life on the ground resources

Still waiting for the cloud raining

cleans starvation conflict boiling

The youth instead of standing by

They left Darfur to North Sky

Music of Darfur drums noising

not only for singing and dancing

neither for harvest nor collecting

only for chairs politicians are fighting

also for diet many people are suffering

The youth instead of standing by

They left Darfur for North Sky

Darfur is a great mother of men

she paid for now and then

but nature of life is often

loses hand of generous thieving smile

wonderful world beautiful people exile!

and the robust case which is alive

When do we build responsible life?

The youth instead of standing by

They left Darfur to North Sky

To end off on a more positive note, I have attached a picture that Werner took.

I don’t really have the appropriate words, but when I look at it I don’t just see a man and a boy standing looking out to the horizon. But I see what they must see; the sun rising and bringing with it a new dawn of hope. Surrounded by nothing, the still stand, side to side, in prayer and giving thanks to the sun. Giving thanks and praise to the life that still lives on in Darfur.

Peace, Love and Hope
Orangeblossom xxx

The Bookseller of Kabul

I picked up this book called “The Bookseller of Kabul” by Asne Seierstad, in the library a few weeks ago and finished it this week.

I began reading it and was so taken back by the stark reality and honesty of this story. A fire within me was ignited when reading about the way in which the majority of Afgan families live out their every day lives. In a country torn by war, this book focuses more on how their religion and politics dictate and still reign supreme. It’s the women that bear the brunt of the suffering. My heart bleeds for them and countless other women around the world, ones that we hear of, read of, but seldom stop to just think about what their lives are like in comparison to our own.

At times I had to stop myself from reading further, because I got so upset by the truth of these people and their existence. I felt like just shouting at them in the book! I found this review (from Publishers Weekly) of the book that gives a good overall summary and insight:

“After living for three months with the Kabul bookseller Sultan Khan in the spring of 2002, Norwegian journalist Seierstad penned this astounding portrait of a nation recovering from war, undergoing political flux and mired in misogyny and poverty. As a Westerner, she has the privilege of traveling between the worlds of men and women, and though the book is ostensibly a portrait of Khan, its real strength is the intimacy and brutal honesty with which it portrays the lives of Afghani living under fundamentalist Islam. Seierstad also expertly outlines Sultan's fight to preserve whatever he can of the literary life of the capital during its numerous decades of warfare (he stashed some 10,000 books in attics around town). Seierstad, though only 31, is a veteran war reporter and a skilled observer; as she hides behind her burqa, the men in the Sultan's family become so comfortable with her presence that she accompanies one of Sultan's sons on a religious pilgrimage and witnesses another buy sex from a beggar girl-then offer her to his brother. This is only one of many equally shocking stories Seierstad uncovers. In another, an adulteress is suffocated by her three brothers as ordered by their mother. Seierstad's visceral account is equally seductive and repulsive. An international bestseller, it will likely stand as one of the best books of reportage of Afghan life after the fall of the Taliban.”

“Have compassion for all beings, rich and poor alike; each has their suffering. Some suffer too much, others too little.” – Hindu Prince Gautama Siddharta (founder of Buddism)